The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the famous Moll Flanders
Defoe, Daniel
The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the famous Moll Flanders
Daniel Defoe
The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the famous Moll Flanders
My True Name is so well known in the Records, or Registers at Newgate, and in the Old Bailey, and there are some things of such Consequence still depending there, relating to my particular Conduct, that it is not to be expected I should set my Name, or the Account of my Family to this Work; perhaps, after my Death it may be better known, at present it would not be proper, no, not tho' a general Pardon should be issued, even without Exceptions of Persons or Crimes.
It is enough to tell you, that as some of my worst Comrades, who are out of the Way of doing me Harm, having gone out of the World by the Steps, and the String; as I often expected to go, knew me by the Name of Moll Flanders; so you may give me leave to go under that Name till I dare own who I have been, as well as who I am.
I have been told, that in one of our Neighbour Nations, whether it be in France, or where else, I know not, they have an Order from the King, that when any Criminal is condemn'd, either to Dye, or to the Gallies, or to be Transported, if they leave any Children, as such are generally unprovided for, by the Forfeiture of their Parents, so they are immediately taken into the Care of the Government, and put into an Hospital call'd the House of Orphans, where they are Bred up, Cloath'd, Fed, Taught, and when fit to go out, are placed to Trades, or to Services, so as to be well able to provide for themselves by an honest industrious Behaviour.
Had this been the Custom in our Country, I had not been left a poor desolate Girl without Friends, without Cloaths, without Help or Helper, as was my Fate; and by which, I was not only expos'd to very great Distresses, even before I was capable, either of understanding my Case, or how to amend it, but brought into a Course of Life, scandalous in itself, and which in its ordinary Course, tended to the swift Destruction both of Soul and Body.
But the Case was otherwise here, my Mother was convicted of Felony for a petty Theft, scarce worth naming, viz. borrowing three Pieces of fine Holland, of a certain Draper in Cheap-side: The Circumstances are too long to repeat, and I have heard them related so many Ways, that I can scarce tell which is the right Account.
However it was, they all agree in this, that my Mother pleaded her Belly, and being found quick with Child, she was respited for about Seven Months; after which she was call'd down, as they term it, to her former Judgment, but obtain'd the Favour afterward of being Transported to the Plantations, and left me about Half a Year old; and in bad Hands you may be sure.
This is too near the first Hours of my Life, for me to relate anything of my self, but by hearsay; 'tis enough to mention, that as I was born in such an unhappy Place, I had no Parish to have recourse to for my Nourishment in my Infancy, nor can I give the least Account how I was kept alive; other, than that, as I have been told, some Relation of my Mother took me away, but at whose Expence, or by whose Direction I know nothing at all of it.
The first Account that I can Recollect, or could ever learn of my self, was that I had wander'd among a Crew of those People they call Gypsies, or Egyptians; but I believe it was but a little while that I had been among them, for I had not had my Skin discoloured, as they do to all Children they carry about with them, nor can I tell how I came among them, or how I got from them.
It was at Colchester in Essex, that those People left me; and I have a Notion in my Head, that I left them there, (that is, that I hid my self and would not go any farther with them) but I am not able to be particular in that Account; only this I remember, that being taken up by some of the Parish Officers of Colchester, I gave an Account, that I came into the Town with the Gypsies, but that I would not go any farther with them, and that so they had left me, but whither they were gone that I knew not, for tho' they sent round the Country to enquire after them, it seems, they could not be found.
I was now in a Way to be provided for; for tho' I was not a Parish Charge upon this, or that Part of the Town by Law; yet as my Case came to be known, and that I was too young to do any Work, being not above three Years old, Compassion mov'd the Magistrates of the Town to take Care of me, and I became one of their own as much as if I had been born in the Place.
In the Provision they made for me, it was my good hap to be put to Nurse, as they call it, to a Woman who was indeed Poor, but had been in better Circumstances, and who got a little Livelihood by taking such as I was suppos'd to be; and keeping them with all Necessaries, till they were at a certain Age, in which it might be suppos'd they might go to Service, or get their own Bread.
This Woman had also a little School, which she kept to teach Children to Read and to Work; and having, I say, liv'd before that in good Fashion, she bred up the Children with a great deal of Art, as well as with a great deal of Care.
But which was worth all the rest, she bred them up very Religiously also, being herself a very sober, pious Woman. (2.) Very Housewifely and Clean, and, (3.) Very Mannerly, and with good Behaviour: So that excepting a plain Diet, coarse Lodging, and mean Cloaths, we were brought up as Mannerly as if we had been at the Dancing School.
I was continu'd here till I was eight Years Old, when I was terrified with News, that the Magistrates (as I think they call'd them) had ordered that I should go to Service; I was able to do but very little wherever I was to go, except it was to run of Errands, and be a Drudge to some Cook-Maid, and this they told me of often, which put me into a great Fright; for I had a thorough Aversion to going to Service, as they call'd it, tho' I was so young; and I told my Nurse, that I believ'd I could get my Living without going to Service if she pleased to let me; for she had Taught me to Work with my Needle, and Spin Worsted, which is the chief Trade of that City, and I told her that if she would keep me, I would Work for her, and I would Work very hard.
I talk'd to her almost every Day of Working hard; and in short I did nothing but Work and Cry all Day, which grieved the good kind Woman so much, that at last she began to be concern'd for me, for she lov'd me very well.
One Day after this, as she came into the Room, where all the poor Children were at Work, she sat down just over against me, not in her usual Place as Mistress, but as if she had set herself on purpose to observe me, and see me Work; I was doing something she had set me to, as I remember it was Marking some Shirts, which she had taken to Make, and after a while she began to Talk to me: Thou foolish Child, says she, thou art always Crying, (for I was Crying then) Prithee, What do'st Cry for? because they will take me away, says I, and put me to Service, and I can't work House-Work; well, Child, says she, but tho' you can't work House-Work you will learn it in time, and they won't put you to hard Things at first; yes they will, says I, and if I can't do it, they will Beat me, and the Maids will Beat me to make me do great Work, and I am but a little Girl, and I can't do it, and then I cry'd again, till I could not speak any more.
This mov'd my good Motherly Nurse, so that she resolv'd I should not go to Service yet, so she bid me not Cry, and she would speak to Mr. Mayor, and I should not go to Service till I was bigger.
Well, this did not satisfy me, for to think of going to Service at all was such a frightful Thing to me, that if she had assured me I should not have gone till I was 20 Years Old, it would have been the same to me, I should have cry'd all the time, with the very Apprehension of its being to be so at last.
When she saw that I was not pacified yet, she began to be angry with me, and what would you have says she, don't I tell you that you shall not go to Service till you are bigger? Ay, says I, but then I must go at last. Why, what, said she, is the Girl Mad? what would you be a Gentlewoman? Yes, says I, and cry'd heartily till I roar'd out again.
This set the old Gentlewoman a Laughing at me, as you may be sure it would: Well, Madam, Forsooth, says she, Gibing at me, you would be a Gentlewoman, and how will you come to be a Gentlewoman? What will you do it by your Fingers Ends?
Yes, says I again, very innocently.
Why, what can you Earn, says she, what can you get a Day at your Work?
Three Pence, said I, when I Spin, and Four Pence when I Work plain Work.
Alas! Poor Gentlewoman, said she again, Laughing, what will that do for thee?
It will keep me, says I, if you will let me live with you; and this I said in such a poor Petitioning Tone, that it made the poor Woman's Heart yearn to me, as she told me afterwards.
But, says she, that will not keep you and buy you Cloaths too; and who must buy the little Gentlewoman Cloaths, says she, and smil'd all the while at me.
I will Work harder then, says I, and you shall have it all.
Poor Child! It won't keep you, said she, it will hardly find you in Victuals.
Then I would have no Victuals, says I again, very Innocently, let me but live with you.
Why, Can you live without Victuals? says she; yes, again says I, very much like a Child, you may be sure, and still I cry'd heartily.
I had no Policy in all this, you may easily see it was all Nature, but it was joined with so much Innocence, and so much Passion, That in short, it set the good Motherly Creature a weeping too, and at last she cry'd as fast as I did, and then took me, and lead me out of the Teaching Room; Come, says she, you shan't go to Service, you shall live with me, and this pacify'd me for the present.
After this, she going to wait on the Mayor, my Story came up, and my good Nurse told Mr. Mayor the whole Tale; He was so pleased with it, that he would call his Lady, and his Two Daughters to hear it, and it made Mirth enough among them, you may be sure.
However, not a Week had passed over, but on a sudden comes Mrs. Mayoress, and her Two Daughters to the House to see my old Nurse, and to see her School and the Children: When they had looked about them a little: Well Mrs.–, says the Mayoress to my Nurse; and pray which is the little Lass that is to be a Gentlewoman? I heard her, and I was terrible frighted, tho' I did not know why neither; but Mrs. Mayoress comes up to me, Well Miss, says she. And what are you at Work upon? The Word Miss was a Language that had hardly been heard of in our School, and I wonder'd what sad Name it was she call'd me; However, I stood up, made a Court'sy, and she took my Work out of my Hand, look'd on it, and said it was very well; then she look'd upon one of my Hands, nay, she may come to be a Gentlewoman, says she, for ought I know; she has a Lady's Hand, I assure you: This pleased me mightily; but Mrs. Mayoress did not stop there, but put her Hand in her Pocket, gave me a Shilling, and bid me mind my Work, and learn to Work well, and I might be a Gentlewoman for ought she knew.
All this while, my good old Nurse, Mrs. Mayoress, and all the rest of them, did not understand me at all, for they meant one Sort of thing by the Word Gentlewoman, and I meant quite another: for alas, all I understood by being a Gentlewoman, was to be able to Work for myself, and get enough to keep me without going to Service, whereas they meant to live Great and High, and I know not what.
Well, after Mrs. Mayoress was gone, her two Daughters came in, and they call'd for the Gentlewoman too, and they talk'd a long while to me, and I answered them in my Innocent way; but always if they ask'd me whether I resolved to be a Gentlewoman, I answer'd, Yes: At last they ask'd me, what a Gentlewoman was? That puzzel'd me much; however, I explain'd my self negatively, that it was one that did not go to Service, to do House-Work; they were mightily pleased, and lik'd my little Prattle to them, which it seems was agreeable enough to them, and they gave me Money too.
As for my Money, I gave it all to my Mistress Nurse, as I call'd her, and told her, she should have all I got when I was a Gentlewoman, as well as now; by this and some other of my talk, my old Tuteress began to understand what I meant by being a Gentlewoman; and that it was no more, than to be able to get my Bread by my own Work, and at last, she ask'd me whether it was not so.
I told her, Yes, and insisted on it, that to do so, was to be a Gentlewoman; for, says I, there is such a one, naming a Woman that mended Lace, and wash'd the Ladies Lac'd-heads; she, says I, is a Gentlewoman, and they call her Madam.
Poor Child, says my good old Nurse, you may soon be such a Gentlewoman as that, for she is a Person of ill Fame, and has had two Bastards.
I did not understand anything of that; but I answered, I am sure they call her Madam, and she does not go to Service nor do House-Work, and therefore I insisted, that she was a Gentlewoman, and I would be such a Gentlewoman as that.
The Ladies were told all this again, and they made themselves Merry with it, and every now and then Mr. Mayor's Daughters would come and see me, and ask where the little Gentlewoman was, which made me not a little Proud of my self besides. I was often visited by these young Ladies, and sometimes they brought others with them; so that I was known by it, almost all over the Town.
I was now about Ten Years old, and began to look a little Womanish, for I was mighty Grave, very Mannerly, and as I had often heard the Ladies say I was Pretty, and would be very Handsome, you may be sure it made me not a little Proud: However, that Pride had no ill Effect upon me yet, only as they often gave me Money, and I gave it my old Nurse, she, honest Woman, was so just as to lay it out again for me, and gave me Head-Dresses, and Linnen, and Gloves, and I went very Neat, for if I had Rags on, I would always be Clean, or else I would dabble them in Water my self; but I say, my good Nurse, when I had Money given me, very honestly laid it out for me, and would always tell the Ladies this, or that, was bought with their Money; and this made them give me more, till at last, I was indeed call'd upon by the Magistrates to go out to Service; but then I was become so good a Workwoman my self, and the Ladies were so kind to me, that I was past it; for I could Earn as much for my Nurse as was enough to keep me; so she told them, that if they would give her leave, she would keep the Gentlewoman, as she call'd me, to be her Assistant, and teach the Children, which I was very well able to do; for I was very nimble at my Work, tho' I was yet very young.
But the Kindness of the Ladies did not end here, for when they understood that I was no more maintain'd by the Town as before, they gave me Money oftener; and as I grew up, they brought me Work to do for them; such as Linnen to Make, Laces to Mend, and Heads to Dress up, and not only paid me for doing them, but even taught me how to do them; so that I was a Gentlewoman indeed, as I understood that Word; for before I was Twelve Years old, I not only found myself Cloaths, and paid my Nurse for my keeping, but got Money in my Pocket too.
The Ladies also gave me Cloaths frequently of their own or their Childrens; some Stockings, some Petticoats, some Gowns, some one thing, some another, and these my old Woman managed for me like a Mother, and kept them for me, obliged me to mend them, and turn them to the best Advantage, for she was a rare House-Wife.
At last one of the Ladies took such a Fancy to me, that she would have me Home to her House, for a Month, she said, to be among her Daughters.
Now tho' this was exceeding kind in her, yet as my good Woman said to her, unless she resolv'd to keep me for good and all, she would do the little Gentlewoman more harm than good: Well, says the Lady, that's true, I'll only take her Home for a Week then, that I may see how my Daughters and she agree, and how I like her Temper, and then I'll tell you more; and in the mean time, if any Body comes to see her as they used to do, you may only tell them, you have sent her out to my House.
This was prudently managed enough, and I went to the Lady's House, but I was so pleased there with the young Ladies, and they so pleased with me, that I had enough to do to come away, and they were as unwilling to part with me.
However, I did come away, and liv'd almost a Year more with my honest old Woman, and began now to be very helpful to her; for I was almost fourteen Years old, was tall of my Age, and look'd a little Womanish; but I had such a taste of Genteel living at the Lady's House, that I was not so easy in my old Quarters as I us'd to be, and I thought it was fine to be a Gentlewoman indeed, for I had quite other Notions of a Gentlewoman now, than I had before; and as I thought that it was fine to be a Gentlewoman, so I lov'd to be among Gentlewomen, and therefore I long'd to be there again.
When I was about fourteen Years and a quarter Old, my good old Nurse, Mother I ought to call her, fell Sick and Dy'd; I was then in a sad Condition indeed, for as there is no great Bustle in putting an End to a poor Body's Family, when once they are carried to the Grave; so the poor good Woman being Buried, the Parish Children were immediately remov'd by the Church-Wardens; the School was at an End, and the Day-Children of it had no more to do but just stay at Home, till they were sent some where else; as for what she left, a Daughter, a married Woman, came and swept it all away, and removing the Goods, they had no more to say to me than to Jest with me, and tell me, that the little Gentlewoman might set up for herself, if she pleased.
I was frighted out of my Wits almost, and knew not what to do; for I was, as it were, turn'd out of Doors to the wide World, and that which was still worse, the old honest Woman had two and Twenty Shillings of mine in her Hand, which was all the Estate the little Gentlewoman had in the World; and when I ask'd the Daughter for it, she huft me, and told me, she had nothing to do with it.
It was true the good poor Woman had told her Daughter of it, and that it lay in such a Place, that it was the Child's Money, and had call'd once or twice for me to give it me, but I was unhappily out of the way, and when I came back she was past being in a Condition to speak of it: However, the Daughter was so Honest afterwards, as to give it me, tho' at first she us'd me Cruelly about it.
Now was I a poor Gentlewoman indeed, and I was just that very Night to be turn'd into the wide World; for the Daughter remov'd all the Goods, and I had not so much as a Lodging to go to, or a bit of Bread to Eat: But it seems some of the Neighbours took so much Compassion of me, as to acquaint the Lady in whose Family I had been; and immediately she sent her Maid to fetch me; and away I went with them Bag and Baggage, and with a glad Heart you may be sure: The fright of my Condition had made such an Impression upon me, that I did not want now to be a Gentlewoman, but was very willing to be a Servant, and that any kind of Servant they thought fit to have me be.
But my new generous Mistress had better Thoughts for me. I call her generous, for she exceeded the good Woman I was with before in every Thing, as in Estate; I say, in every Thing except Honesty; and for that, tho' this was a Lady most exactly Just, yet I must not forget to say on all Occasions, that the first, tho' Poor, was as uprightly Honest as it was possible.
I was no sooner carried away as I have said by this good Gentlewoman, but the first Lady, that is to say, the Mayoress that was, sent her Daughters to take care of me; and another Family which had taken Notice of me when I was the little Gentlewoman, sent for me after her, so that I was mightily made of; nay, and they were not a little Angry, especially the Mayoress, that her Friend had taken me away from her; for as she said, I was hers by Right, she having been the first that took any Notice of me; but they that had me, would not part with me; and as for me I could not be better than where I was.
Here I continued till I was between 17 and 18 Years old, and here I had all the Advantages for my Education, that could be imagined; the Lady had Masters home to teach her Daughters to Dance, and to speak French, and to Write, and others to teach them Musick; and as I was always with them, I learn'd as fast as they; and tho' the Masters were not appointed to teach me, yet I learn'd by Imitation and Enquiry, all that they learn'd by Instruction and Direction. So that in short, I learned to Dance and speak French as well as any of them, and to Sing much better, for I had a better Voice than any of them; I could not so readily come at playing the Harpsicord or Spinnet, because I had no Instrument of my own to Practise on, and could only come at theirs in the Intervals when they left it; but yet I learned tollerably well, and the young Ladies at length got two Instruments, that is to say, a Harpsicord and a Spinnet too, and then they Taught me themselves; but as to Dancing they could hardly help my learning Country Dances, because they always wanted me to make up even Number; and on the other Hand, they were as heartily willing to learn me everything that they had been Taught themselves, as I could be to take the Learning.
By this Means I had, as I have said, all the Advantages of Education that I could have had, if I had been as much a Gentlewoman as they were, with whom I liv'd; and in some things I had the Advantage of my Ladies, tho' they were my Superiors, Viz. that mine were all the Gifts of Nature, and which all their Fortunes could not furnish. First, I was apparently Handsomer than any of them. Secondly, I was better shap'd, and Thirdly, I Sung better, by which I mean, I had a better Voice; in all which you will, I hope, allow me to say, I do not speak my own Conceit, but the Opinion of all that knew the Family.
I had with all these the common Vanity of my Sex, Viz. that being really taken for very Handsome, or if you please for a great Beauty, I very well knew it, and had as good an Opinion of my self, as any Body else could have of me, and particularly I loved to hear any Body speak of it, which happened often, and was a great Satisfaction to me.
Thus far I have had a smooth Story to tell of my self, and in all this Part of my Life, I not only had the Reputation of living in a very good Family, and a Family Noted and Respected every where for Vertue and Sobriety, and for every valuable Thing; but I had the Character too of a very sober, modest, and vertuous young Woman, and such I had always been; neither had I yet any Occasion to think of any thing else, or to know what a Temptation to Wickedness meant.
But that which I was too vain of, was my Ruin, or rather my Vanity was the Cause of it. The Lady in the House where I was, had two Sons, young Gentlemen of Extraordinary Parts and Behaviour; and it was my Misfortune to be very well with them both, but they managed themselves with me in a quite different Manner.
The eldest a gay Gentleman, that knew the Town, as well as the Country, and tho' he had Levity enough to do an ill-natured thing, yet had too much Judgment of things to pay too dear for his Pleasures; he began with that unhappy Snare to all Women, Viz. taking Notice upon all Occasions how pretty I was, as he call'd it, how agreeable, how well Carriaged, and the like; and this he contriv'd so subtilly, as if he had known as well how to catch a Woman in his Net, as a Partridge when he went a Setting; for he would contrive to be talking this to his Sisters, when tho' I was not by, yet when he knew I was not so far off, but that I should be sure to hear him: His Sisters would return softly to him, hush Brother, she will hear your, she is but in the next Room; then he would put it off, and talk softlier as if he had not known it, and begin to acknowledge he was Wrong; and then as if he had forgot himself, he would speak aloud again, and I that was so well pleased to hear it, was sure to Listen for it upon all Occasions.
After he had thus baited his Hook, and found easily enough the Method how to lay it in my Way, he play'd an open Game; and one Day going by his Sister's Chamber when I was there, he comes in with an Air of Gaiety, O! Mrs. Betty, said he to me, How do you do Mrs. Betty? don't your Cheeks burn Mrs. Betty? I made a Court'sy, and blush'd, but said nothing; What makes you talk so, Brother? says the Lady, Why, says he, we have been talking of her below Stairs this half Hour; Well, says his Sister, you can say no Harm of her, that I am sure, so 'tis no matter what you have been talking about; nay, says he, 'tis so far from talking Harm of her, that we have been talking a great deal of good, and a great many fine Things have been said of Mrs. Betty, I assure you; and particularly, that she is the Handsomest young Woman in Colchester, and, in short, they begin to Toast her Health in the Town.
I wonder at you Brother, says the Sister, Betty wants but one Thing, but she had as good want every Thing, for the Market is against our Sex just now; and if a young Woman has Beauty, Birth, Breeding, Wit, Sense, Manners, Modesty, andall to an Extream; yet if she has not Money, she's no Body, she had as good want them all; nothing but Money now recommends a Woman; the Men play the Game all into their own Hands.
Her younger Brother, who was by, cry'd, Hold Sister, you run too fast, I am an Exception to your Rule: I assure you, if I find a Woman so accomplish'd as you Talk of, I won't trouble my self about the Money. O, says the Sister, but you will take Care not to Fancy one then without the Money.
You don't know that neither, says the Brother.
But why Sister, (says the Elder Brother) why do you exclaim so about the Fortune? you are none of them that want a Fortune, what ever else you want.
I understand you, Brother, (replies the Lady very smartly) you suppose I have the Money and want the Beauty; but as Times go now, the first will do, so I have the better of my Neighbours.
Well, says the younger Brother, but your Neighbours may be even with you; for Beauty will steal a Husband sometimes in spight of Money; and when the Maid chances to be Handsomer than the Mistress, she oftentimes makes as good a Market, and rides in a Coach before her.
I thought it was time for me to withdraw, and I did so; but not so far, but that I heard all their Discourse, in which I heard abundance of fine things said of my self, which prompted my Vanity, but, as I soon found, was not the way to encrease my Interest in the Family, for the Sister and the younger Brother fell grievously out about it; and as he said some very disobliging things to her, upon my Account, so I could easily see that she resented them, by her future Conduct to me, which indeed was very unjust; for I had never had the least thought of what she suspected, as to her younger Brother: Indeed the elder Brother in his distant remote Way had said a great many things as in Jest, which I had the Folly to believe were in Earnest, or to flatter my self with the Hopes of what I ought to have suppos'd he never intended.
It happened one Day that he came running up Stairs, towards the Room where his Sister us'd to sit and work, as he often us'd to do; and calling to them before he came in, as was his way too, I being there alone, step'd to the Door, and said, Sir, the Ladies are not here, they are walk'd down the Garden: as I step'd forward to say this, he was just got to the Door, and clasping me in his Arms, as if it had been by Chance, O! Mrs. Betty, says he, are you here? that's better still, I want to speak with you, more than I do with them, and then having me in his Arms he kiss'd me three or four times.
I struggled to get away, and yet did it but faintly neither, and he held me fast, and still kiss'd me, till he was out of Breath, and, sitting down, says he, dear Betty, I am in Love with you.
His Words, I must confess, fir'd my Blood; all my Spirits flew about my Heart, and put me into Disorder enough: He repeated it afterwards several times, that he was in Love with me, and my Heart spoke as plain as a Voice, that I lik'd it; nay, whenever he said, I am in Love with you, my Blushes plainly reply'd wou'd you were, Sir. However nothing else pass'd at that time; it was but a Surprize, and I soon recover'd my self. He had stay'd longer with me, but he happen'd to look out at the Window and see his Sisters coming up the Garden, so he took his Leave, kiss'd me again, told me he was very serious, and I should hear more of him very quickly, and away he went infinitely pleas'd, and had there not been one Misfortune in it, I had been in the Right, but the Mistake lay here, that Mrs Betty was in Earnest, and the Gentleman was not.
From this time my Head run upon strange Things, and I may truly say, I was not my self, to have such a Gentleman talk to me of being in Love with me, and of my being such a charming Creature, as he told me I was, these were things I knew not how to bear, my Vanity was elevated to the last Degree: It is true, I had my Head full of Pride, but knowing nothing of the Wickedness of the times, I had not one Thought of my Virtue about me; and had my young Master offer'd it at first Sight, he might have taken any Liberty he thought fit with me; but he did not see his Advantage, which was my Happiness for that time.
It was not long, but he found an Opportunity to catch me again, and almost in the same Posture, indeed it had more of Design in it on his Part, tho' not on my Part; it was thus, The young Ladies were gone a Visiting with their Mother; his Brother was out of Town, and as for his Father he had been at London for a Week before; he had so well watch'd me, that he knew where I was, tho' I did not so much as know that he was in the House, and he briskly comes up the Stairs, and seeing me at Work, comes into the Room to me directly, and began just as he did before, with taking me in his Arms, and kissing me for almost a quarter of an Hour together.
It was his younger Sister's Chamber that I was in, and as there was no Body in the House but the Maid below Stairs, he was it may be the ruder: In short, he began to be in Earnest with me indeed; perhaps he found me a little too easy, for I made no Resistance to him while he only held me in his Arms and kiss'd me; indeed I was too well pleased with it, to resist him much.
Well tir'd with that kind of Work, we sat down, and there he talk'd with me a great while; he said, he was charm'd with me, and that he could not rest till he had told me how he was in Love with me, and if I could Love him again, and would make him happy, I should be the saving of his Life; and many such fine Things.
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